Whooping Crane Eastern Partnership

Mid- September 2009 Project Update

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September 2009 Population Status

As of mid-September 2009 there are approximately 78 birds in the Eastern Migratory Whooping Crane population, consisting of 47 males and 31 females. The most recent known locations of all birds are shown in the map below. Whooping cranes are present in at least 9 Wisconsin counties, and at least one bird is known to be in Michigan, one in Indiana, with the location of three others unknown.

2009 Cohort

We are currently preparing 30 chicks for the fall 2009 migration: 21 cranes for the ultralight project and 9 for the DAR project. This year’s targeted departure date for the ultralight birds is October 18, with plans to again split the flock between the two wintering sites at St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge (NWR), and Chassahowitzka NWR. The DAR birds will continue their training until late fall, when they will be released in groups of two to three birds near older cranes in or near the Necedah NWR rearing site.

Report Sightings

Pre-migration movements are expected to commence soon, although we do not expect to see any large migration movements until late fall. When migration gets into full swing in October and November, we ask that sightings of migrants be passed on to us through the whooping crane reporting web site we have established for that purpose:
http://www.fws.gov/midwest/whoopingcrane/sightings/sightingform.cfm

The link above provides a public reporting form on a site maintained by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS). When a report is submitted, the information goes simultaneously to multiple partners including the biologists who are tracking the birds, FWS, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, International Crane Foundation, and Operation Migration.

This update is a product of the Whooping Crane Eastern Partnership. To access our previous project updates and additional information on the project visit our web site at http://www.bringbackthecranes.org/.

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Last updated: September 21, 2009